TITLE: Take Me to Church
AUTHOR: Janice Whiteaker
SERIES: Sinners and Saints
SERIES ORDER: 1
RELEASE DATE: 9/29/2023
GENRE: Romantic Suspense
TW/CW: mentions of spousal abuse, religious abuse, in-marriage rape; violence and murder.
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
BLURB:
One year ago I walked away from everything I knew and all the lies I’d been told.
For the first time in my life I was free from the constraints put on me by power hungry men who twist faith and devotion into fear and control.
All to feed their own egos.
Now my sister’s ready to leave too, but the only one who can help me save her is a ghost from my past. One who’s haunted my thoughts more than I’d like to admit.
Christian was my older brother’s best friend. He saved me countless times when I was a little girl, protecting me from the wrath of my unpredictable father when everyone else in the house turned a blind eye.
Except Christian’s no longer the lanky teenage boy from my memories.
He’s older. Darker. Deadlier.
He’s changed in ways I’m only beginning to understand. Ways that make me desperate for his touch. Ways that make me worry he still sees me as that little girl instead of the grown woman I've become.
But one thing hasn’t changed.
Christian is still willing to do whatever it takes to keep me safe…
and he’s more than ready to prove it.
This book
✔Age-Gap (10 years)
✔Brother's Best Friend (former)
✔Touch Her and Die (literally)
✔Dirty Talking Hero
✔No Cheating & Low-Angst
MY REVIEW:
DISCLAIMER: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I absolutely loved this story! It was intense, emotional, and so so steamy!! Christian and Lydia were perfection! I loved the history they had! I loved how Christian took care of and protected her, without smothering or making her feel less. I loved the freedom that Lydia found with Christian by her side.
This story was a lot to unpack for me personally. I come from a religious background and a lot of the restrictions that Lydia faced (esp. with the clothes and music) were restrictions I had as a kid.
I loved getting reacquainted with the other Lost Boys and their families, particularly Tate and Simon! I cannot wait for Tate and Piper’s story in Tell Me No Lies! Piper was a hysterical addition to this story, and her “meet cute” with Tate was absolute gold! I can’t wait to find out what is in store for Myra, Lydia’s sister! I am hoping for a Simon/Myra story though!
This story can be read as a standalone. It is the first in a three book spinoff series of the Lost Boys series, and you will meet most of those characters in this book but you do not need to read those books to understand what is happening in this book. I do recommend that you at least put those books on your TBR because they are simply some of the best stories I have ever read!
Thank you Janice and Julie for the advance copy!